Monday's blaze at trucking company took 58 firefighters nearly 9 hours to suppress

FARMINGTON — The New Mexico Environment Department found two tanks had small leaks of "oily waste" at the site of an industrial blaze earlier this week.

That finding came when a department representative visited the site on Thursday with a county official in the wake of Monday's fire. Their tour comes as dry and dangerous conditions across the county have caused an increase in brush/grass fires that have threatened residences and structures, according to county and city fire chiefs.

It was one of 200 fire calls the San Juan County Fire Department responded to between June 1 and Tuesday. Daughtery said a majority of the fires have been caused by people burning weeds or lighting fireworks.

The CBH Trucking and Salvage fire at 5615 U.S. Highway 64 was caused by a cutting torch igniting a nearby tree while its user was dismantling a tank, according to a copy of a report by the NMED Hazardous Waste Bureau.

When reached for comment, a man who answered the phone at CBH Trucking and Salvage hung up the phone while speaking to The Daily Times.

San Juan County CEO Kim Carpenter toured the site Wednesday behind the business that runs along County Road 5467. Carpenter said the NMED has jurisdiction to conduct an inspection at any site in the county where hazardous materials are stored.

That measure was put in place to keep firefighters safe and ensure the safety of residents living around a business, Carpenter said.

Daughtery said the county's community development division has previously inspected the site. A member of the NMED Hazardous Waste Bureau toured the site with Daughtery on Thursday.

Carpenter said he was trying to figure out why a lot of black smoke was released as part of the blaze. He visited the site after speaking to Daughtery, who told him he had concerns about some of the tanks on the property leaking.

The NMED inspector found two intact tanks appeared to have leaked a small amount of "oily waste," according to the report.

According to property owner Kennard Tsosie, the area were a brush fire started on Tuesday, June 20 ...more

According to property owner Kennard Tsosie, the area were a brush fire started on Tuesday, June 20 2017, is seen the following day, Wednesday, at his property along County Road 7010, south of Farmington.

Daily Times file photo

Some of the tanks that caught fire also contained miscellaneous items stored inside of them, Daugherty said. Wood pallets and tires were also destroyed in the fire. At one point, an excavator was used to access portions of the fire.

The owners of the business, Carl and Bob Huish, agreed to clean up the burned debris and take soil samples to determine if the area where the fire occurred, along with the area under the two tanks, was contaminated, the report states.

They also agreed to remove tires from their rims, to properly dispose of the tires and recycle the metal rims.

The NMED Hazardous Waste Bureau did not find any hazardous waste violations at the site or at another location managed by CBH Trucking and Salvage during inspections within the last five years, according to the report.

“I think it's a perfect example of how dry and dangerous it is. Even if you take all the precautions, it takes one thing of nature to change that.”

-&nbspBloomfield Fire Chief John Mohler

Chris Cardin, county fire marshal and division chief, said people using an open flame or grinder should keep a water source or fire extinguisher nearby in case a spark causes a fire. Residents should also clear away any brush or cotton near any flammable source.

The conditions around San Juan County are so dry, even residents who take precautions sometimes unintentionally start brush fires.